Cervical amyloidoma of C2. Case report and review of the literature.
METHODS
Second published report of a patient with amyloidoma of the upper cervical spine.


OBJECTIVE
To describe a patient with rare radiculopathy to alert other physicians to consider amyloid tumor as a differential diagnosis of locally destructive spine lesions.


BACKGROUND
Localized amyloid tumor of the bone is a rare disease. Only seven cases of spine involvement have been reported. Appropriate tissue sampling is required to establish the diagnosis. Histopathologic examination shows pathognomonic apple-green birefringence under polarized light. When bone is involved with amyloid, it is most commonly associated with multiple myeloma or other plasma cell-dyscrasias.


METHODS
This case was described, and pertinent literature was reviewed.


RESULTS
The patient showed persistent neurologic improvement after transoral complete tumor removal, followed by a secondary posterior stabilization procedure using transarticular C1-C2 screws.


CONCLUSIONS
Amyloidomas are benign lesions with no associated documented risk for the development of plasmocytoma-related diseases. The clinical and radiographic manifestations of this lesion are nonspecific. A cure is possible with complete resection of the tumor and no adjuvant management procedures.
Porchet
F
F
Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Sonntag
V K
VK
Vrodos
N
N
D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001863:Bone Screws; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed